The council chamber was as tense as it had ever been. Shadows danced on the rough stone walls, cast by the flickering firelight that illuminated the faces of the high council. The air was thick with the weight of decisions past and future, and now Nicholo stood at the center, feeling the scrutiny of the pack’s leaders bearing down on him. He knew what he had to say would not be easily accepted.
Elina, the newly appointed Luna of the pack, sat at the head of the council, her presence calm but authoritative. Her role had expanded after the loss of Ragnar, the former alpha, and the weight of the pack's future now rested heavily on her shoulders. Beside her were the familiar faces of the pack’s most trusted advisors—Thora, the master healer; Aric, the stealth master; and others, their eyes pi
